Educational Center - Sequences and variations of Manhattan: new learning opportunities

EDUCATIONAL CENTER

Sequences and variations of Manhattan: new learning opportunities Streetscape Territories: Multiple Readings, Multiple Interventions.

New York

MASTER DISSERTATION PROJECT 2021/22 MANON VANDOMMELE

Author Manon Vandommele manonvandommele@gmail.com +32 479 69 80 03 Supervisor Prof. Dr. Arch. Kris Scheerlinck Proofreaders Mathieu Roberge Emilie Roberge Master Dissertation Project 2021/2022 EDUCATIONAL CENTER SEQUENCES AND VARIATIONS OF MANHATTAN : NEW LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES KU Leuven Faculty of Architecture Campus Sint-Lucas Paleizenstraat 65/67, 1030 Brussels, Belgium

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photo-copying, recording or any information storage retrieval system, without written permission from the publisher.

All graphic material was produced by the author during as part of a personal master dissertation project, unless specified. © 2022 by Manon Vandommele

How can an architectural intervention integrate the sequences and variations of New York streetscapes within educational infrastructures in a sensory overloaded environment?

Reimagining school architecture to offer children the opportunity to grow and immerse themselves in New York realities.

Streetscape Territories: Multiple Readings, Multiple Interventions.

New York Cty

The project aims to rethink architecture as an instrument of inclusion by providing educational facilities that embrace the sensory surprises of the city offering new learning opportunities in the heart of Manhattan.

With this project, I would like to create new configurations of

interaction and socialization spaces for schools, and more specifically for children growing up in a city where everything is multiplied tenfold.

This new way of thinking about spaces was achieved through the use of sequences and variations that are omnipresent in New York.

For the detailed development of the project, the sites of intervention are located in a neighborhood in the heart of Manhattan, along 8th Avenue.

Keywords: liveliness, intimacy, togetherness, feelings, adaptability, variations, sequences, children, education, directness, interaction, resilience

Acknowledgments

I would like to thank my promotor Kris Scheerlinck for all the advice and guidance given throughout the development of my project, as well as his patience and dedication during difficult times.

I am extremely grateful to have had the opportunity to travel to New York as part of my graduation project. It was a very rewarding journey

where I had the chance to meet exceptional people thanks to the collaboration with the NY hub and the Flanders House. This work was not only an academic experience but above all, a human one that taught me to get out of my comfort zone and confront all kinds of unusual and sometimes difficult feelings.

I would also like to express my deepest gratitude to my family who, during these 5 years, have always believed in me, supported me in the most difficult moments, and without whom I would not have been able to undertake this journey.

Finally, thanks to my friends for their support, encouragement and especially their patience in supporting me in times of stress and discomfort.

Table of contents 1

– An experience of sequences and variations

1.1.

1.2.

2

OVERcrowded city Sensory OVERload Atlas

15 21 22 24 25 26 27 28

30 31 34 36

42

— Schools 3.1.1 — School Streetscape Atlas — Research question

43 46 48

– A resilient urban network

50

5

— — —

– Research themes

3.1.

3.2.

4

Triple reading of the city: Maira Kalman & Brandon Stanton The concept of sequences and variations in New York — Spatial sequences — Variations of senses — Sequences of intimacy — Sequences of views — Variations in facades — Gordon Cullen

– Walking through the city

2.1.

2.2.

2.3

3

— — 1.2.1 1.2.2 1.2.3 1.2.4 1.2.5 1.2.6

14

4.1.

—

Educational network

– Design strategies

5.1.

— New ways of learning and socializing: sequences and sensory overload

as a design tool

Melopee School, Ghent 5.2.

— Connection to natural environment

Paley Park, New York

51

56 57 62

6

– 8th Avenue

6.1.

6.2.

6.3.

— — 6.2.1 6.2.2 — 6.3.1 6.3.2

Transition to an OVERcrowded·loaded area Madison Square Garden — Existing situation — Proposal Times Square — Existing situation — Proposal

66 67 70 72 76 100 102 106

7

– Conclusions and personal reflections

128

8

– Bibliography

132

1– An experience of sequences and variations

Fig. 1: Bill Cunningham (Galella, 2018). Fig. 2: Maira Kalman (Williams, 2018). Fig. 3: Supreme. Fig. 4: Yoko Ono (Paradise Kortrijk, 2022). Fig. 5: Studio 54 (Schull, 2018). Fig. 6: Woody Allen (White, 1994). Fig. 7: Diane Von Furstenberg (Frohman, 2021). Fig. 8: Rockefeller Family (Bettmann, 2019). Fig. 9: Brandon Stanton (St Martin’s Press, 2015). Fig. 10: Donald Trump (Sherman, 2018). Fig. 11: Fran Lebowitz (Knopf, 2016). Fig. 12: Robert Moses (Encyclopædia Britannica, 2022). Fig. 13: Julian Schnabel (Clute, 2015). Fig. 14: Martin Scorsese (La Cinetek). Fig. 15: Iris Apfel (Adams, 2010). Fig. 16: Chelsea Hotel (Annovazzi, 2019). Fig. 17: Diana Vreeland (Horst, 1979). Fig. 18: Sharon Zukin (Wikidat). Fig. 19: Alvin Baltrop (Cotter, 2019). Fig. 20: Diane Arbus (Jackson, 2019). Fig. 21: Gossip Girl (Pinterest). Fig. 22: Louise Bourgeois (Johansson, 1998). Fig. 23: Paris is Burning (Shepherd, 2012). Fig. 24: Donna Karan (Guarrigues, 2015).

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1.1. – Triple reading of the city: Maira Kalman, Brandon Stanton & Louise Bourgeois Understanding and immersing oneself in the identity of New York was done through exceptional people’s eyes who were part of New York’s history. The purpose of this research through ther individuals’ eyes is to lead to multiple readings of the city and to have a first understanding of it.

These personalities are all very different and each have their own way of perceiving and using New York. Whether it is Woody Allen who expresses the city through movies, Bill Cunningham through photography and fashion, or the Supreme company that highlights hip hop culture and the skateboarding lifestyle, they all have their own identity and express it in different manners within the city.

I decided to focus on Maira Kalman, Brandon Stanton and Louise Bourgeois, three artists who have lived in New York and have imbibed the qualities of the city and then translated it through their art. As I entered their universe, I quickly realized that New York is first and foremost a city that lives because of the people in it, but it is also a city in constant transformation and movement. It is a city that never sleeps, where a lot of unexpected things can happen, where buildings pop up out of nowhere and where thousands of people live.

Subsequently, I will use these early understandings and their manner of representing the city’s strengths as tools to develop my own vision of New York.

Bill Cunningham

Maira Kalman

Supreme

Yoko Ono

Studio 54

Woody Allen

Diane Von Furstenberg

Rockefeller Family

Brandon Stanton

Donald Trump

Fran Lebowitz

Robert Moses

Julian Schnabel

Martin Scorsese

Iris Apfel

Chelsea Hotel

Diana Vreeland

Sharon Zukin

Alvin Baltrop

Diane Arbus

Gossip Girl

Louise Bourgeois

Paris is Burning

Donna Karan

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MAIRA KALMAN Maira Kalman, born in 1949 in Tel Aviv, is an illustrator and writer who has lived in New York since she was a child. Maira has written and illustrated more than 30 books for children and adults, and has worked on several occasions with The New York Times and The New Yorker magazines.

Discovering New York through Maira Kalman’s eyes is absolutely fantastic, the urban environment of the city brings her creativity to life and she takes us into a very unique world where naivety takes over the reality of the city. When she started drawing, she had the desire to be a naive writer because it perfectly represents her way of writing and her way of seeing New York. What she does is a report of what she sees as she walks the streets of the city. A typical day for Maira Kalman starts with a cup of coffee, then she walks around, looks at the trees, and observes people, she follows them in a loving, caring way. Walking gives her a great sense of joy, which brings her a million ideas. She said in one of her TED Talks: “Looking is a good thing to do”.

When she describes her day, she always includes a nap, dogs and a lot of fantasy. Maira Kalman lives in a very particular universe, a universe where fantasy is omnipresent and this is felt in all her drawings. A kind of naivety but also the reality of life. She then translates what she has seen into drawings and stories and takes us into her own world. The way she thinks and the way she draws and writes her books is about how we navigate this life, how we deal with sorrow, how we deal with the fragility and the vulnerability of every single day that we are alive.

Imagining a New York apartment in Maira Kalman’s style would be done sequentially: the view from the apartment would be of greenery and rosy skies, the interior atmosphere would be very warm with brick walls and antique wood floors, which would be complemented by colorful and lively furniture.

Fig. 25: Drawing by Maira Kalman for The New Yorker magazine

Fig. 26: Drawing by Maira Kalman from her book Next Stop Grand Central

Fig. 27-30: Illustration of a New York apartment according to Maira Kalman

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BRANDON STANTON Brandon Stanton is an american photographer born in 1984 in Georgia. He started his adventure as a photographer in Pittsburg, moved to Philadelphia and then to New York to finally set up his business and live there. Today, he travels the world to spread his passion of telling stories through photography.

When Brandon Stanton first arrived in New York, his first feelings were of being on the sidewalks covered in people, overwhelmed by buildings as impressive as each other, and of course the crowds of people.

He knew at that moment that he would have a lot of stories to tell through all the people living in or visiting New York.

Fig. 31: Photo of two people seen in Central Park by Brandon Stanton

From the same perspective as Maira Kalman, Brandon Stanton weaves his way through the streets and avenues of New York City photographing strangers he meets along the way. Through his photographs he wants to show us the simple moments of life and tell us the unique stories of each person he photographs. Brandon Stanton’s work is based on the human being in the city, how people feel, how they feel about certain neighborhoods, certain buildings, what they get from them, how they feel integrated or not in certain areas. He doesn’t lie, he shows us the reality of the city and of each of these people. In his photos, we see his way of seeing New York, but above all we see the way people feel in New York, what they live, what they hide behind their faces.

Fig. 32: Photo of a woman seen at Lincoln Center by Brandon Stanton

What is also fascinating about Brandon Stanton’s work is that not only does he photograph complete strangers, but in his photos he also highlights the place they are in at the time of the photo. Whether it is Central Park, Grand Central Station or Times Square, he will always make sure to show the beauty and reality of the place.

Fig. 33-38: Drawings made according to the way Brandon Stanton sees New York

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LOUISE BOURGEOIS Louise Bourgeois, sculptor and painter, was born in 1911 in Paris and passed away in 2010 in New York.

She directed her creation towards universal themes such as eroticism, abandonment, solitude and frustration.

After an initial period devoted to drawing, painting and engraving, she concentrated on sculpture, creating numerous totems, symbolic objects loved in the United States for their therapeutic value.

The bold lines and severe geometric nature of her engravings reflect Louise Bourgeois’ fascination with the ever-changing New York City skyline. She was drawn to the architecture of New York. The skyscrapers in particular were so unusual for her.

Her portfolio is not only a meditation on New York, it is about that sense of loneliness when you’re in a new place. There is a sense of solitude in her art, we have the feeling that there is something missing when we look at them. The architecture of New York had an immediate impact on Louise Bourgeois when she arrived from France.

Fig. 39: Escalier de 63

New York’s skyscrapers also underlie the visual narratives that unfold in her book “He Disappeared into Complete Silence” of 1947.

She said “My skyscrapers reflect a human condition” and here they became personifications of loneliness, alienation, anger, and hostility.

Fig. 40: Man Reading

Fig. 41: He Disappeared into Complete Silence

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Fig. 42: Collage of Louise Bourgeois’ work

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“To walk from one end of the plan to another, at a uniform pace, will provide a sequence of revelations which are suggested in the serial drawings opposite, reading from left to right. Each arrow on the plan represents a drawing.

The even progress of travel is illuminated by a series of sudden contrasts and so an impact is made on the eye, bringing the plan to life. (...) Note that the slightest deviation in alignment and quite small variations in projections or setbacks on plan have a disproportionally powerful effect in the third dimension.”

(Cullen, 1971)

Fig. 43: The Concise Townscape

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1.2. – The concept of sequences and variations in New York

The concept of sequences and variations emerged from my analysis of three important people who in their own way changed the city and the lives of its inhabitants: Brandon Stanton, Maira Kalman and Louise Bourgeois. All three have very different approaches to how they redesign the city and each uses different kinds of sequences or variations to represent in their own way what New York is to them.

/ sēkwəns/ a particular order in which related events, movements, or things follow each other.

Brandon Stanton’s main tool is photography and the people in the city. His work is expressed in photographic sequences that show the different layers that make up a neighborhood, a park, a street. These different layers are composed by the presence of different personalities who all have their own story. All these people and their stories then create the identity of the place where they were photographed.

Brandon then reproduces the neighborhoods of New York by highlighting the human presence that gives life to the city.

Maira Kalman, an illustrator of children’s and adults’ books, redesigns the city with a certain naivety. She bases her work on her personal experience, on her feelings about certain elements or people and on what she sees on the street to reinterpret all these sequences and variations through different kinds of illustrations where she highlights each of the elements that helped her understand the place she was in.

Finally, Louise Bourgeois who was a sculptor and painter, and who through her art expressed the loneliness that one can feel in New York. Louise was fascinated by the variation of skyscrapers and transcribed this in her drawings by highlighting the grandeur of these and the variation present in their facades.

/vɛːrɪˈeɪʃ(ə)n/ a change or slight difference in condition, amount, or level, typically within certain limits.

My first impression while walking from avenue to avenue was that each block of buildings brings a totally different feeling, with a series of unexpected events: steam coming out of a big orange tube, car horns on all sides, surprising air currents, breathtaking views on the iconic buildings of the city, smells as surprising as each other, ... Walking on the High Line, along the river, in Central Park or in the middle of the city, creates all kinds of emotional sequences. The city never stops living, moving and bringing different feelings as we discover it.

Walking around the different neighborhoods of the city helped me to identify the type of sequences I wanted to focus on: spatial sequences, sequences of intimacy, variations of senses, sequences of views, and variations in facades.

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1.2.1

Spatial sequences

When we talk about spatial sequence, we are referring to the transition from one space to another and how that transition occurs. From a domestic perspective, these spaces can be clearly defined by the presence of walls, doors and openings.

When it comes to public spaces, the transition from one space to another is more subtle and marked differently. Indeed, it can be done by a change of materiality on the ground, a difference of level, the presence of fences expressing the entry in a more private zone.

In New York City, the spatial sequences are all different depending on the type of space you are in. When we are in a park for example, the transition between the park and the street will be marked first by the sidewalk that invites the pedestrian to go there, then by a change of materiality on the ground such as the use of rough stone or cobblestones giving a different atmosphere to the park and clearly marking the distinction between the space dedicated to the circulation of cars and the open space having a totally different function. Taking the example of Central Park, within the park itself we can distinguish sub-spaces that are also generally marked by a change in materiality. When we walk around, it is not something we necessarily pay attention to, but unconsciously our brain differentiates the spaces we can use from those we cannot. In Central Park, there are several watering holes that are not dedicated to pedestrians, for example, but rather a natural space kept ‘wild’. From a more domestic point of view, spatial sequences are generally clearly marked by the presence of solid elements such as walls, glass, doors, partitions of all kinds, etc. Each of these sequences is experienced as a space that can be used by people. When we enter a building such as the MoMA Museum, different sequences occur before we find ourselves completely inside the building. It starts with the arrival in front of the building, identifiable by large revolving glass doors, sometimes covered by a canopy, followed by the passage in these revolving doors providing a different feeling than the one outside (presence of heating or air conditioning). Then, we find ourselves in a large space with relatively high ceilings, very airy, bright and spacious. This space is often accompanied by carpets showing that we enter a clean and neat space. We go from a very public space with noise, a lot of passage, to a structured interior space bringing a very different atmosphere. These spatial sequences have a different identity depending on the type of building or public space.

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1.2.2

Variations of senses

The unexpected feelings that one can experience in a city refer to our senses that are awakened and intensified. Smell, touch, sight and hearing are the main ones involved. Whether in a dense environment like Broadway Avenue or in the middle of Central Park, we have unique and unexpected sensory experiences.

Whether you are in a hotel, on the street or on the waterfront, New York is alive all year round, day and night. And this constant movement within the city creates countless unusual events. Our hearing is constantly challenged by car horns, ambulance or police sirens, groups of people walking down the street, the wind blowing off the sides of buildings, subways passing under our feet in the middle of an avenue, the movement of water lapping on the banks on a windy day, etc. These are certainly sounds that we are familiar with. These are all sounds we are used to hearing individually, but it is rare to have it all at once, in one place.

Walking in the streets of New York also awakens our sense of smell with the presence of food stalls everywhere, the steam coming out of the New York basements, the pollution accumulated by the continuous traffic of vehicles, the very strong and sometimes disturbing smell in the subways. All these smells give us different sensations and perceptions of the city.

Walking in the city also awakens our tactile sensations: the air currents when crossing two avenues that provoke shivers and astonishment, the materials of the ground that make us feel our walk differently like the carpets at the entrance of certain buildings or the transition between a solid material and a softer one.

Finally, the view is also challenged by the different wonders and astonishments we have as we move through the city. When we cross an avenue, our eyes are riveted to the infinite view that it offers us, on the immensity of each building, on the diversity of materials present in the same street, but also the lights and the reflections of the sun on the facades that can dazzle us. When we are in the center of Times Square for example, the first thing that strikes us is the omnipresent bright and dazzling screens.

We do not necessarily realize it, but our senses are strongly exacerbated in a city like New York and it is very interesting to see how each one can live differently the awakening of these senses.

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1.2.3

Sequences of intimacy

Sequences of intimacy are characterized by the different levels of intimacy that one can feel in a space, both domestic and private. This level of intimacy provides each person with different kinds of feelings, such as fear, anxiety, freedom, comfort, etc.

Several factors such as the time of day, the frequency of passage, the openness of spaces, can have a certain impact on our intimacy. Intimacy will therefore be different depending on the elements that surround us (people, buildings, objects).

These elements can be arranged, treated, used in very different ways in order to give different feelings of seeing and being seen.

When we walk in the streets of New York, and depending on the time we do it, the intimacy we feel varies. From one street to another, the density of passage can vary completely. One can be alone in a street and at the next crossing oppressed by the crowd. Intimacy is thus disturbed by other feelings such as oppression and insecurity. These feelings can be generated by the omnipresence of skyscrapers, the reflection of the sun in the glass of buildings, the large crowd in tourist places, dark and uncrowded places, etc. When you walk on the High Line for example, different green zones have been set up and create different areas that will be more or less intimate. The presence of trees gives the feeling of being hidden from others, and also gives a feeling of protection. Moreover, depending on when one chooses to walk on this old railroad, the abundance of people can vary enormously.

Having had the opportunity to walk there on a sunny afternoon, and on a rainy day, my sense of privacy was totally different. During the sunny afternoon, despite the important presence of greenery, I felt oppressed by the important presence of people, more particularly at the place where you go up and down the High Line.

On the other hand, during my visit on a cloudy day, I had the chance to be entirely alone throughout my walk and this allowed me to enjoy it differently. When we walk along the river, despite the presence of other people, this feeling of intimacy is very different thanks to the opening towards the water and thanks to the fact that we don’t feel oppressed by the endless series of buildings.

Regarding intimacy in an interior space, it is mainly influenced by the presence of vertical elements, translucent or opaque, with different openings. In a building such as MoMA, initimity is worked by the transition between spaces, the narrowness of these spaces as well as the darkness brought. In other words, we are masters of choosing the level of intimacy we want to feel while walking in the city. Here, the notion of seeing and being seen is very important and varies greatly depending on where we are located.

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1.2.4

Sequences of views

The visual sequences represent the different perspectives that can be seen in the city, in a public space or in a building. These views awaken in us a sense of wonder, amazement or questioning. It can be a deliberate or unexpected view that shows a specific image of the city or place. When it is a voluntary view, a framing often allows to direct our attention and to bring it towards the targeted element.

New York never ceases to amaze us with the perspectives it offers. Whether you are walking down an avenue or standing on top of a skyscraper, each view is unique and makes you want to continue exploring the city in every corner. As I walked around the city, I was amazed by the unique perspectives I came across. Each building that makes up the streets creates endless perspectives that bring a sense of freedom. The views that the city offers us are constantly changing, they follow the changes of the city and become different from day to day. The feeling that we can have in front of these views can also vary according to the luminosity of the moment. Each view gives us a different opinion of the city. When we are in Central Park and we have a certain distance on the city, the view we have of it gives a different feeling than when we walk on the main avenues. The same is true when we walk along the waterfront in Brooklyn and have a perspective on the city.

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1.2.5

Variations in facades

The variations in the facade are characterized by the different materials selected, the rhythm and non-rhythm, the exceptions, the elements creating a unique identity to the building, etc. These variations in the facade have a direct impact on the interior and exterior spaces, as well as on the level of privacy depending on the intensity of exposure of the spaces to the outside.

Each building in New York is unique and characterized by its facade. From one building to another, the sequences are totally different and specific to their use. The majority of residential buildings follow a constant rhythm on the facade with average openings. However, their second floor may be different, due to the presence of commercial or other functions. Houses, on the other hand, have facades with their own identity, with different heights, different materials, openings placed in different places, etc. The facades of New York buildings express their identity and character, but can also hide a totally unexpected atsmophere. For example, when we go to the MoMA museum, we are confronted with a very neutral black and white facade, where we have no possibility to realize what is going on inside. Once inside, this black glazing actually offers focused views of the surrounding buildings. This facade is also “interrupted” by the museum’s prominent entrance, which is composed of a horizontal element that acts as a canopy and is an exception to the neutral rhythm of the facade. If we take Grand Central Station as another example, when we face the building, we can see the large openings in the windows but we do not necessarily imagine the immensity of the interior spaces of this building and the atmosphere that reigns there.

New York facades are also characterized by the abundant presence of illuminated signs and logos that can be identified from dozens of meters away.

Fig. 44-46: Photos of New York’s facades

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Spatial sequences

Sequences of intimacy

Variations of senses

Variations in facades

Sequences of views

Fig. 47: Defining 5 types of Sequences and Variations in New York

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1.2.6

Gordon Cullen

Walking in the streets of a city leads to the creation of a series of feelings felt by the presence of elements located around us. These elements concern both the set of buildings placed next to each other, but also all the spaces and sub-spaces created by the presence of these buildings, the whole forming the identity of a city. The one does not go without the other, if we think about Times Square, what makes this place an exceptional place is the whole of the buildings and their external spaces which allow the place to take shape. If we imagine this place without buildings around, without advertisements on the facades, without pedestrian access to the iconic buildings of the square, then it is not the Times Square that everyone knows.

The place would no longer feel the same. In a city, “buildings bring people together and they create a collective surplus of enjoyment. Bringing buildings together and collectively they give visual pleasure which none can give separately” (Cullen, 1971). As I discovered New York and wandered from street to street, a series of surprises (visual, sensory, emotional) emerged. According to Gordon Cullen, the environment in which we find ourselves produces an “emotional reaction” (Cullen, 1971) that can be understood in three different ways: optics (serial vision), place and content. When talking about optics, we can make a direct connection with the visual sequences mentioned above, as well as spatial sequences: it is about discovering new views, new buildings, new places as we walk down the street. Even if the aim of our walk is to arrive at a specific place, the different steps before arriving there give us different visual sequences, which turn out to be distinct and unique views (see Fig. 48). “The significance of all this is that although the pedestrian walks through the town at a uniform speed, the scenery of towns is often revealed in a series of jerks or revelations. This we call serial vision. It comes alive through the drama of juxtaposition” (Cullen, 1971). Regarding the place, we can link it to the variations of senses as well as to the sequences of intimacy because it is the reaction that our body has and the different feelings that we can feel when we are in a place. Gordon Cullen talks about sense of position as a factor in the design of the environment. Our feeling in this place can be influenced by many factors: the difference in level (being high or low) will have an impact on our intimacy and the intensity of exposure to other people, the feeling of superiority or inferiority, and the feeling of going towards the known or the unknown; the narrowness of a place can also influence our behavior (feeling of tightness, of closeness to the buildings); the division of the spaces that will influence the appropriation of them, etc. Finally, the

content that refers mainly to the sequences of intimacy but also indirectly to the variations in facades: it is about the urban fabric and the sense of exposure (“emp-

tyness, geometry, expanse of sky”) that this can create (Cullen, 1971). The choice of materials for the facade of a building, the openings and the dimensions will strongly affect our level of intimacy and the way we experience the space.

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Fig. 48: The sequence of New Delhi - The Concise Townscape

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2– Walking through the city

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2.1. – OVERcrowded city

Fig. 49: The crush of pedestrian traffic

Walking in the streets of New York is above all immersing yourself in a crowded city. The first feeling you get when you walk on the New York sidewalks, and more particularly in the heart of Manhattan, is to feel invaded by a human presence as well as the arrival of cars coming from all sides. This overcrowding, although it may bring a negative feeling of oppression or discomfort, is above all a characteristic of New York that, if it were to be removed or modified, would totally change the identity of the city.

In times of pandemic, taking the example of Covid 19 that appeared in 2019, human behavior on the streets, whether in New York or any other city, was directly impacted and changes the relationship that humans have with the street. This pandemic has had different repercussions on human behavior and on the city’s attitudes towards danger.

On the one hand, the human impact was that a certain distance had to be respected in order to reduce the risk of contamination, resulting in the establishment of “traffic corridors”, restricted access to certain places, or even forbidden access, which forced people to be wary of anyone passing by them, which literally changed the human presence in the city streets. On the other hand, the pandemic opened up new opportunities for pedestrians in the city by closing certain streets to cars, creating urban structures that invited people to socialize differently and to use the city streets in a new way (Schmidt, 2022).

Restaurants have expanded onto the street with new terraces, bike lanes have been widened inviting more people to ride bikes, and new playgrounds have been put in place allowing children to enjoy the streets of New York.

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Fig. 50: Overcrowded areas of Manhattan

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2.2. – Sensory OVERload

From my personal experience, New York is the city that gave me the most emotions in a very short time. From astonishment to wonder, from questioning to amazement, each point of the city has never ceased to overwhelm me and awaken my senses.

Walking in this city full of movement, it is also to realize that our senses are tested and increased tenfold.

“Leaving the hotel, finding myself in front of a flow of human traffic, crashing into it and venturing onto the avenues of New York. A smell arises, wondering where it can come from and what it can be. Ah, a cloud of smoke... smoke? But what is that big orange tube?

Why is there so much smoke coming out of it? Attention, the light is red, we must stop.

Stop and contemplate this infinite perspective of buildings, this magnificent view that gives the feeling that it will never stop. *Green light*. We can cross, but where to go? Where am I anyway? Everything is so big, so parallel, I move forward without really knowing where I am going. Ah! I see the tip of the Empire State building, we are in the heart of Manhattan.

My legs start to hurt, it’s almost time for lunch, let’s look for a subway entrance and go near Central Park. I continue to walk, smells of grilled meat come and go, the sun reflects against the big windows of the buildings, a small wind is felt between two avenues. I see several subway entrances, which one should I take? Do they lead to the same place? As I get off, a smell of urine fills my nostrils, a dark world opens to me: the underground city of New York. I hear music, a small high-pitched voice mixes in, people dance, others laugh.

What an original way to wait for our subway. But where to go? How do you read these signs? I think it’s this way, at worst we’ll see where it takes me, New York will never cease to amaze me.”

February 5th, 2022. Subway station near Bryant Park No matter where you are, no matter what time of the day it is, New York offers a succession of unexpected and surprising events that make the city wonderful.

What is fascinating is that we interpret these events and feelings in our own way and experience the city from different perspectives.

What does it mean to grow up in such an emotionally charged city? How does a child react to this overload of sense? Are they really aware of all the street scenes that make New York what it is? Are they really immersed in the emotional sequences the city offers?

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Fig. 51: Junction of 8th Avenue and 40th Street

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2.3. – Atlas

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Fig. 52-63: Atlas of the sequences and variations of New York

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Fig. 64-75: Atlas of the sequences and variations of New York

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Fig. 76-87: Atlas of the sequences and variations of New York

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3– Research themes

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3.1. – Schools

Located between Pennsylvania Station and Times Square, the district of the two sites selected for the development of the project is primarily made up of businesses, offices, hotels, theaters and housing. Many of these businesses and offices are empty, hotels are closing one after the other, and the Covid 19 pandemic has only made the situation worse. There is a certain lack of liveliness and

authenticity in an area where so much is happening. Thousands of people pass through every day, there is an unmistakable proximity to the city’s points of interest because it is located in the heart of Manhattan. What is missing from these spots and what is the ingredient of a city, of a neighborhood, are schools. Schools in which children have proper spaces for a good education, with outdoor spaces and work areas appropriate to their needs. Most of the schools in the area are located in old buildings where the playgrounds are missing, the interior spaces are too small and not designed for school facilities. Children are somehow cut off from the reality of what is going on in the city. They enter a building and lose the notion of the city. The majority of large New York schools with spacious facilities, outdoor playgrounds and access to natural areas are located in the northern part of Manhattan, where there is very little human activity, where there are no crowds, and where the realities of New York do not show up.

However, realities of New York are for me characterized by this constant disorder where many events occur at the same time. There is an overload of sense that sometimes can be too much, but it is part of the reality of the city. Therefore, I will propose to introduce new learning opportunities in these areas through the creation of an educational center offering additional spaces for educational purposes linked to high schools, elementary schools and kindergartens. Those educational centers would be located in several places in the city in order to have a resilient educational system accessible to all. Kindergarten, primary and secondary schools can rent all or part of the spaces offered, for full or half days, and welcome children to offer them traditional and extracurricular activities that are at the level of the neighborhood and not often found in these places. Making the choice to introduce afterschool spaces in areas such as Times Square and Madison Square Garden is a way to connect with the city, with the sensory overload in which children grow up. It is an educational center that learns children to deal with the mess, the real New York, where there are too many people, too many billboards, too many cars, too much noise, too many smells, too many things going on at once.

43

Louis D. Brandeis High School Frank McCourt High School PS 009 Sarah Anderson Upper West Side several playgrounds

PS 084 Lillian Weber Upper West Side

large playground - big spaces

Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis High School Theater District old building - no outdoor space

PS 397 Spruce Street School Downtown

vertical school - no outdoor space

Fig. 88: Schools comparison between crowded areas and uncrowded areas

44

Fig. 89: Schools location regarding overcrowded areas, Manhattan, New York City

45

3.1.1

School Streetscape Atlas

46

Fig. 90: Streetscape scenes of schools in Manhattan, New York City

47

3.2. – Research question

How can an architectural intervention integrate the sequences and variations of New York streetscapes within educational infrastructures in a sensory overloaded environment?

Reimagining school architecture to offer children the opportunity to grow and immerse themselves in New York realities.

48

Fig. 91: Greenwich Village School, West Village, Manhattan

49

4– A resilient urban network

50

4.1. – Educational network

The principle of the education center aims to expand into multiple areas of Manhattan to provide K-12 schools with multiple access points with different types of activities offered depending on the center and its location. It is a resilient network system that seeks to provide new and complementary learning opportunities in an environment where sensory overload and overcrowding are pervasive. The se-

quences and variations analyzed above are the main tools for the implementation of these centers. Different centers will be strategically located to connect with both Manhattan schools and direct access to the many activities in the city. The creation of this network of educational centers is the establishment of educational resilience within the different neighborhoods of Manhattan. These out-of-school spaces will offer neighboring schools the opportunity to have different activities not accessible in their schools by providing new kinds of classrooms, play spaces, sports facilities, dining spaces, etc. These spaces can also benefit the city’s occupants when they are not being used by the various schools. These are multi-purpose spaces that provide both new learning opportunities for children and sharing spaces for citizens. This resilient community strategy is spread across several points of interest in Manhattan neighborhoods (see Fig. 93).

The two sites selected for the detailed development of the project are located along 8th Avenue, both in close proximity to areas with a high incidence of unexpected events and surprises. The first location is adjacent to Pennsylvania Station and in direct communication with the Penn 1 building. The site offers the opportunity to create a strong connection to the streetscape and activity that occurs there as well as a close relationship to the imposing Penn 1 building and Madison Square Garden which houses the Pennsylvania train station. The second location is a few blocks away from the first site and has the distinction of being between a residential area, an arts area surrounded by theaters, and the iconic Times Square.

Looking closer at the two sites, 8 elementary schools are located nearby and will be able to benefit from the educational activities offered by the two centers.

51

Fig. 92: Sites of intervention with connection to existing schools

52

Fig. 93: Mapping the points of interest for intervention

53

54

Fig. 93: Existing schools around the two sites

55

5– Design strategies

56

5.1. – New ways of learning and socializing: sequences and sensory overload as a design tool The choice of the two sites for the development of the project was driven by the sequences and variations selected during my reading of New York. Both locations are places where complexity and chaos are part of the street experience.

Times Square is one of the most visited places in New York by tourists from all over the world, with a lot of stores, restaurants, bars, theaters, and all kinds of entertainment that Times Square is the only one to offer. As the site is located just a few meters from the square, there is a lot of activity and traffic, making the area quite busy and constantly moving. As for Madison Square Garden and Pennsylvania station, it is a building housing an important train station above which is located one of the largest and most famous arenas in New York that can accommodate up to 20,000 people. Adjacent to the site is 7th Avenue where there are many stores that generate a large number of people per day. Therefore, these are two places where sequences and variations are omnipresent and where the liveliness and complexity of the city are fully experienced.

By choosing these two sites, there is an opportunity to work with these qualities provided by the neighborhood and make them the main tools for the project conception. The educational centers are designed in harmony with the liveliness of what happens in the street, with the different levels of intimacy that can be felt, the variations in the facades that have a direct impact on the relationship between the interior environment and the pedestrians, the important variations of our senses that engender all kinds of feelings in our body, as well as the visual sequences offered around the sites. The project is developed on the basis of sequences and variations, meaning that it is a school where hundreds of people pass through a corridor that is in direct relation to the classrooms but also to the playgrounds, where reading and eating complement each other, where hearing the sound of claxons and the yelling of people are part of the many daily events of the children’s education, etc.

It is about learning from the harshness of the city, from the simultaneity of these sequences and variations and using them as qualities within educational spaces.

57

ACCESSIBILITY

SITE 1

8th Avenue

CHALLENGES & QUALITIES OF THE SITE

The street adjacent to the site will be transformed into a pedestrian street, creating a stronger relationship with the streetscape and inviting the pedestrian into the project.

Penn 1

Madison Square Garden - Pennsylvania Station

Horizontal access Vertical access

SEQUENCES & VARIATIONS FACADE & VIEW

Direct view Sequenced/indirect view

The fully glazed facades, orchestrated by the rhythm of the columns, allow for different visual relationships between the project and the street: direct views and sequenced views.

Site 1 undertakes an open approach with the urban landscape.

SPATIAL

Level of accessibility Public Transitional area Enclosed area

The main idea of the “open approach” of Site 1 is to bring the street into the project and for the project to merge with the activity around the site. Transition zones are created and lead to the interior spaces of the project.

INTIMACY

Level of intimacy Low High

As this is an open approach, the transition zones provide users with a different level of intimacy. The higher the floor, the greater the level of intimacy.

SENSES

Sensory level Unexpected feeling Smell & touch Hearing Sight

Fig. 94-95: Sequences & variations schemes of both sites

CHALLENGES & QUALITIES OF THE SITE

nue

58

The presence of unexpected openings in the project and the proximity to a crowded area offer a sensory explosion, complemented by the presence of a garden in the middle of a zone of chaos.

ACCESSIBILITY

RESIDENTIAL

SITE 2

Times Square

8th Avenue

CHALLENGES & QUALITIES OF THE SITE

Imperial theater

TRANSITIONAL ZONE

COMMERCIAL Horizontal access Vertical access

SEQUENCES & VARIATIONS FACADE & VIEW

Direct view Sequenced/indirect view

SPATIAL

Level of accessibility Public Transitional area

Site 2, which was an open parking lot, has the particularity of being located between a residential area and a very touristy commercial area, generating a large flow of traffic. Moreover, it is surrounded by several theaters, including the Imperial Theater, with which a connection will be created.

Two sorts of facades (glass or brick wall with openings) are implemented creating two types of visual relationships. The glazed facade quickly draws the eye in/ out while the brick facade marks a more distinct transition between the street and the project. The project is primarily encompassed by the brick facade, creating a more enclosed approach.

The passage between the street and the central space of the project is made by two transition zones acting as two pocket gardens before leading to an outdoor open space.

Enclosed area

INTIMACY

Level of intimacy Low

With the enclosed approach of Site 2, the level of privacy is much greater than at Site 1. In contrast to Site 1, the higher you go, the lower the level of privacy.

High

SENSES

Sensory level Unexpected feeling & view Smell & touch Hearing

CHALLENGES & QUALITIES OF THE SITE

Imperial theater

es Square

Avenue

59

Like Site 1, unexpected feelings are present in different parts of the project such as openings creating visual curiosity, the presence of small gardens awakening

the sense of smell, touch and sight, but also the direct relationship with 8th Avenue confronting the project with all kinds of sounds and smells.

Melopee School, Ghent, BE Xaveer De Geyter Architects

Located in a harbor area of Ghent, the Melopee School hosts different programs such as an elementary school, extracurricular activities, a day care center, and sports facilities. It is therefore a multi-purpose building in which different functions are mixed together, allowing different socialization possibilities for the children.

One of the particularities of this school is the layout of the spaces, especially the outdoor spaces. The playground was designed so that outdoor activities would not be monotonous like in most playgrounds. To achieve this, the outdoor space was built vertically on different floors with different activities and orientations. This verticality also creates a special relationship with the canal located along the site, and allows for more outdoor space for the children.

The choice of materials allowed the architects to offer different levels of intimacy within the project. On the one hand, the building is totally open thanks to a metallic skeleton that opens the playground to the urban landscape. On the other hand, the facades of the interior spaces are made of opaque and translucent walls offering a generous luminosity to the spaces while maintaining intimacy towards the exterior activities.

Fig. 96-101: Atmosphere pictures of the Melopee School (Delvaux, 2020)

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61

5.2. – Connection to natural environment

Being in a city like New York, it is also to have a feeling of “too much” very quickly by the important presence of skyscrapers everywhere around us. In these moments, it is important to be able to refocus on ourself and find other ways to experience the city, one of them is to connect with nature. Human beings are genetically predisposed to feel a sense of pleasure when surrounded by natural environments and

this can quickly become a need when we are in a dense environment where concrete and asphalt are the main elements around us. We are systematically drawn to nature because it brings a sense of serenity in times of chaos, soothing in times of stress, and simply well-being at any time of the day. “We like to feel a connection to it in our homes, our offices, our communities. Our very genes are encoded to link our well-being - our being well and our feeling well - to sustaining an intimate connection with the natural world” (William Goldhagen, 2017). Several green spaces are present in Manhattan, including Central Park which is one of the largest parks in New York, allowing residents to escape the city’s crowds and disconnect from the visual and audio chaos while taking a walk. On a more human scale, there are also pocket parks1 which are generally located in the center of the chaos and which allow to have the feeling of being in a park while being in a dense urban landscape. These are an effective solution when the implementation of a park is not possible due to a lack of space.

Furthermore, providing children with green outdoor spaces improves their ability to concentrate and their cognitive skills. “According to environmental psychologists Rachel and Stephen Kaplan 2, enjoying a natural landscape replenishes our attentional resources effectively by promoting what they call effortless focus” (William Goldhagen, 2017).

It seems essential to me to incorporate the notion of natural environment within an educational project located in a place overcrowded and overloaded with (unexpected) events. The green spaces will then allow the children to create a balance between the important presence of activities around them and the calm provided by these natural environments.

1

A pocket park is a small outdoor space, usually no more than ¼ of an acre, usually only a few house lots in size or smaller, most often located in an urban area surrounded by commercial buildings or houses on small lots with few places for people to gather, relax, or to enjoy the outdoors.

(NRPA, https://www.nrpa.org/contentassets/f768428a39aa4035ae55b2aaff372617/pocket-parks.pdf) 2

Rachel and Stephen Kaplan are professors of psychology at the University of Michigan, specializing in environmental psychology. The Kaplans are known for their research on the effect of nature on people’s relationships and health.

(Psychology Wiki, https://psychology.fandom.com/wiki/Rachel_and_Stephen_Kaplan)

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Fig. 102: Imaginary atmosphere drawing of an outdoor space for children in Manhattan

63

Paley Park, New York, USA Zion Breen Richardson Associates

Surrounded by skyscrapers, Paley Park is located in the cultural part of Midtown, between Madison Avenue and 5th Avenue. From the street or from the public archway of building 10E 53, the park is difficult to identify.

Its configuration allows visitors to escape the urban noise that is omnipresent in

this area of the city. Every detail has been designed to reduce city noise and create a peaceful space in the middle of a busy city life. Finally, to create a sound barrier, the park has been elevated by the use of several steps and is surrounded by ivy and other plants that will absorb the sounds coming from the street. In addition, a waterfall on the back wall of the park has been installed, creating a very peaceful atmosphere and also helps to muffle the surrounding noise. This type of space allows passers-by to get away from the hustle and bustle and recharge their batteries in a quiet place.

When you are in this pocket park, you forget for a moment that you are in the super active city that is New York, but you only have to look up to remember that you are surrounded by skyscrapers all around you.

Fig. 103-106: Photos of Paley Park

64

65

6– 8th Avenue

66

6.1. – Transition to an OVERcrowded·loaded area

For the detailed development of the project, I wanted to select two sites located in the heart of Manhattan in an area where sequences, variations, overcrowding and sensory overload are pervasive. This is an area with very few schools or educational spaces, as it is primarily made up of shops, offices and hotels. The goal being to provide spaces that both confront and embrace these sequences, the choice of

the two sites was guided by these characteristics present along 8th Avenue. The first, called “Madison Square Garden”, is located on a parcel currently occupied by a Duane Reade pharmacy and a bar restaurant. The plot is adjacent to the Penn 1 building, which is an imposing office building, and is located in front of the majestic Pennsylvania Station. The second, named “Times Square”, is located on an outdoor parking lot between a residential area and the Times Square tourist area. The parcel is also surrounded by several theaters and many shops. Both sites offer a strong relationship to the streetscape and represent a great opportunity to provide new educational spaces for the schools of New York.

67

8th

Av e

nu

e

SITE 2

SITE 1

Fig. 107: Site plan of the two Centers on 8th Avenue

6.2. – Madison Square Garden

Placed along a hectic avenue and on a parcel surrounded by relatively imposing buildings in midtown Manhattan, the Madison Square Garden Educational Center focuses primarily on academic learning. It offers complementary spaces to Manhattan schools and proposes new ways of learning through the layout of the building and its interior spaces. Although the space is primarily designed for schools, it

can also be rented by anyone who needs space for a specific period. Indeed, the configuration of the spaces allows the building to be divided into several parts so that outside individuals and/or organizations can also rent space for a short period of time. The Madison Square Garden Center blends in with the Penn 1 building and uses the same character in the facade. The choice of materials is directly influenced by the Penn 1 and thus focuses on a metal column structure with a fully glazed facade. By being inserted into the Penn 1 building, the educational center provides a new identity to the lower part of the Penn 1 facade, which opens to a large urban garden. This garden extends vertically to the second floor where there is an accessible green roof.

The ground floor spaces are accessible to all and allow children to be in an atmosphere where the sequences and variations of the city are emphasized. A corridor is created in the center of the project that provides continuity between 8th Avenue and the pedestrian street along Madison Square Garden. This horizontal relationship with the streetscape is also felt vertically in the building. Different openings in the slab bring curiosity within the project and allow one to feel the important movement present around and within the project. It is thus a center that, unlike traditional schools outside of Manhattan where little human activity occurs, opens up to the urban landscape and invites the activity of the streetscape into the educational spaces. By its closed approach, the Times Square center provides extracurricular sports spaces immersed in an area of high human traffic that is nevertheless controlled by the variations created in the facades.

70

Fig. 108: Aerial view of the existing situation at Madison Square Garden

71

6.2.1

Existing situation

Fig. 109: View from the New Yorker Hotel

72

Fig. 110: View from the W 34th Street

Fig. 111: View from the junction of W 34th Street and 8th Avenue

73

LAND USE

housing · hotel housing + commerces · offices commerces · offices institutions others

ACCESSIBILITY

direction of traffic flow

pedestrian traffic only

74

OPEN SPACES

plaza playground parking accessible green spaces non accessible green spaces

OVERCROWDEDNESS

crowd density

0

2500

7500

20 000

subway entrance·exit

Fig. 112-115: Site analysis

75

6.2.2

Proposal

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83

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B'

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1:400 Fig. 120: Third floor

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1:400 Fig. 121: Roof

87

+19.30 roof

+13.80 3rd floor

+9.80 2nd floor

+5.80 1st floor

McDonald's

+1.00 garden level

Subway

+0.00 ground floor -3.30 parking floor

unknown subway level

88

Fig. 122: Detailed section AA’

89

NORTH FACADE

WEST FACADE

90

SOUTH FACADE

+19.30 roof

+13.80 3rd floor

+9.80 2nd floor

+5.80 1st floor

+1.00 garden level +0.00 groundfloor -3.30 parking floor unknown subway level +19.30 roof

Fig. 123: Section BB’ and facades +13.80 3rd floor

91

+9.80 2nd floor

+5.80 1st floor

92

Fig. 124: Isometric conceptual drawing of the Pennsylvania Center

93

Polyvalent room

Core

Classrooms

Restroom

Kindergarten rooms

Main entrance

Performance room/ seminar room DR pharmacy

Staff des

Continuity of the street

Garden/ Outdoor space

Polyvalent room

Core

Classrooms

Restroom

Polyvalent room

Core

Kindergarten rooms Classrooms Restroom

Main entrance

Performance Kindergarten Main rooms room/ entrance

Staff desk

Performance Staff desk room/ DR seminar pharmacy room DR Cook and pharmacy book library

Cook and book library

seminar room

Continuity streetGarden/

Continuity of the of the street

Fig. 125: Structural Scheme

Outdoor space

Garden/ Outdoor space

Parking

Parking

Fig. 126: Exploded axonometry

94

Cook an book libr

Parking

As the project is in direct communication with the Penn 1 building, its structure follows the same pattern, creating a harmony between the facades of the two projects. It is a column-beam system with fully glazed facades. The bracing of the building is ensured by the presence of two circulation cores and two concrete walls.

The span direction varies depending on where one is in the “U” of the building, with spans of 7.5m or 9m.

As an educational center that can accommodate both primary and secondary school students, as well as younger children in kindergarten, different kinds of spaces are offered in order for all children to enjoy the center’s facilities. The ground floor divides the “U” into three buildings. Along W 34th street is the main entrance with a staff office, a large lobby with access to the upper floor, and the “cook and book” library where students can work, learn, study, and have a snack at the same time.

The module parallel to 8th Avenue proposes a new space for the Douane Reade Pharmacy, which is present in the existing situation and essential to the streetscape. Finally, the section across from Madison Square garden accommodates a multi-purpose conference, performance, and auditorium space. A part of the Penn 1 building has been completely opened up to create an airy space between the office areas and the educational center. This opening allows the development of a large garden inviting nature into the project.

The first level is a continuation of the ground floor with a large playground that separates the ‘U’ into two parts. One is the continuity of the library with the addition of classrooms having different levels of intimacy according to the activity carried out in them, the other being mainly dedicated to the spaces for the kindergarten children.

The particularity of these spaces is that they can be either totally closed in order to have several distinct classrooms, or totally open allowing the playground to enter inside the building and create new socialization spaces. The second level gives access to a green accessible roof in continuity with the ground floor garden, a terrace, as well as a large multipurpose open space that can be divided into several closed spaces. Finally, the top floor offers several concentration spaces.

95

Fig. 127: Atmosphere drawing · view from the junction of 8th Avenue and W 34th St

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97

98

Fig. 128: Atmosphere drawing · view from the covered outdoor space

99

6.3. – Times Square

Interspersed between various theaters and some stores, the Times Square educational Center offers sports facilities in a semi-enclosed environment with the aim of providing a calm and relaxing atmosphere in which children can fully enjoy their physical activity, while being surrounded by a high level of human activity due to the tourist activities nearby the parcel. While the center along Madison Square Garden undertakes an open approach to the streetscape, the Times Square Center is interiorized to the street and attracts the curiosity of passersby with its brick facades punctuated by high and wide windows. Access to the sports facilities is mainly through the interior of the parcel, inviting users to discover the calm atmosphere of the center. This access is made through two transitional spaces that act as pocket gardens in which one goes from a hectic atmosphere to a rural atmosphere while still being surrounded by skyscrapers.

The brick facade acts as a visual and physical transitional element between the street and the sports activities. The interior of the parcel is very open with totally glazed facades. Thanks to these large openings, the children are in direct relation with nature while exercising a physical activity. Horizontal and vertical relationships are created between the different sports spaces such as the arrangement of a running track that ‘flies’ over the basketball court and then extends into the streetscape and ends with a direct view of the two swimming pools. In addition, openings in the slab are created to bring light into the larger spaces and also to create visual perspectives through the different functions.

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Fig. 129: Aerial view of the existing situation at Times Square

101

6.3.1

Existing situation

Fig. 130: View from the W 45th Street

102

Fig. 131: View from the parking on the site

Fig. 132: View from the 8th Avenue

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LAND USE

housing · hotel housing + commerces · offices commerces · offices institutions others

ACCESSIBILITY

direction of traffic flow

pedestrian traffic only

104

OPEN SPACES

plaza playground parking accessible green spaces non accessible green spaces

OVERCROWDEDNESS

crowd density

0

2500

7500

20 000

subway entrance·exit

Fig. 133-136: Site analysis

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6.3.2

Proposal

106

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+6.30 1st floor

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116

Fig. 142: Detailed section AA’

117

NORTH FACADE

WEST FACADE

118

SOUTH FACADE

SECTION BB’

+16.10 roof

+10.30 2nd floor

+6.30 1st floor

+1.00 garden level +0.60 groundfloor swimming pool +0.00 groundfloor restaurant -4.30 parking floor

Fig. 143: Section BB’ and facades

+16.10 roof

+10.30 2nd floor

+6.30 1st floor

119

120

Fig. 144: Isometric conceptual drawing of the Times Square Center

121

Yoga room Tennis court Polyvalent/ performance room Yoga room Running track Tennis court

Basketball court

Polyvalent/ performance room Stock Running track Basketball court

Core

Stock

Restroom/ Changing room Entrance swimming Restroom/ pool Changing room Swimming Entrance pool Core

swimming pool Swimming pool

Restaurant/ Cafeteria

Restaurant/Garden/ Cafeteria Garden/ Outdoor space

Outdoor space Parking

Parking

Fig. 145: Structural Scheme

Fig. 146: Exploded axonometry

122

The Times Square Center building structure follows the same column-beam system as Site 1, but is supplemented by concrete walls to ensure the building’s stability.

The span direction varies depending on the building module, with a span of either 7.5m or 9m.

The Center at Site 2 offers sports facilities while the one next to the Pennsylvania station offers work spaces, workshops and other academic activities. One of the common points between the two centers is the (re)connection with nature, which is why the ground floor is composed of small gardens around which are arranged the 3 modules containing a basketball court, two swimming pools and a small restaurant. On the first level, two of the three modules become one with a multipurpose space that can be used as a performance and training space for the Imperial Theater. A connection is created between the sports center and the theater in order to have direct access to the performance space. This floor also houses a running track that has the particularity of emerging from the building and imposing itself in the streetscape. On the W 45th street side, the second floor is a continuation of the restaurant on the lower level.

Finally, the top floor offers mainly tennis spaces as well as other multipurpose spaces that can also be used by the theater users. A parcel is created to connect the two modules together.

123

124

Fig. 147: Atmosphere drawing · view from 8th Avenue

125

126

Fig. 148: Atmosphere drawing · view from the outdoor space

127

7– Conclusions and personal reflection

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CONCLUSIONS

The new principle of extracurricular spaces forms a new qualitative resilient system that uses the existing qualities of the neighborhood to build complementary spaces to the city’s schools. Through their structural design and their principle of openness to the city, the educational centers express a unique architectural identity in the urban fabric. Human interactions and acquisition of knowledge among children

are enhanced by the extracurricular facilities offered, which can also be used by anyone requiring facilities such as those proposed. Schools have complementary spaces for teaching, learning, creating new opportunities for socialization, etc.

New learning methods are created by the stimulation between the activity of the streetscape and the extracurricular facilities. The sequences and variations actively present in the city have made it possible to propose new ways of thinking the spatial organization of a classroom, a playground, a cafeteria, etc. The sharing of knowledge and the strong relationship with a city in constant movement are essential elements for the growth of children, allowing them to improve their ability to adapt to unexpected situations.

By integrating these functions into the urban fabric of Manhattan’s neighborhoods, a resilient network takes place, optimizing the social and educational integration of children and residents of the city. In this way, the educational centers are an extension of the existing schools of New York, complementing the overcrowded neighborhoods of Manhattan. The architecture of the educational centers creates a strong relationship with the streetscape of the neighborhood and allows children to benefit from school spaces that offer new learning conditions by using the exceptional qualities of the city: sequences, variations and overload of sense.

The centers add quality to children’s educational experience and provide new learning opportunities that can be seen as a new vision for New York’s future schools.

It is a human-centered approach that addresses the feelings of individuals in a sensory overloaded environment. A new resilient network of schools in Manhattan offering new learning opportunities.

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PERSONAL REFLECTION

The development and completion of this final project was an exceptional and intense experience, both mentally and humanly. Having the opportunity to travel to a city such as New York and then develop a project based on the fascinations I felt in the city was a wonderful way for me to finish my studies. I had a very enriching year during which I was able to put forward everything I learned during my studies

but also where I learned a lot about myself and my abilities to face certain obstacles and difficulties. I had the opportunity to discover a new approach: starting from the streetscape and ending with a complete architectural project in which I was able to combine my interests and the expectations of the studio.

The best part of this work was our visit in March where I was able to discover exceptional people without whom the experience would not have been the same.

We walked a lot, discovered every corner of the city, had a lot of thoughts going through our heads while being amazed by the most beautiful thing New York has to offer: a continual amazement. We also had the opportunity to do work sessions on the 38th floor of the New York Times building during which we had constructive exchanges, all the while admiring the infinite view of the New York skyline.

The weekly exchanges were not always easy, with weeks when stress got the better of us, but they always took place in a serious working atmosphere. My colleagues and I formed a great team in which we helped each other, were patient and listened.

Despite the high expectations of the studio and the difficulties encountered during these few weeks of development, I am proud to have come this far and to have been able to develop a project that combines my personal interests with the social and economic realities that New York schools face. I was able to develop a project that builds on the qualities present in New York and I was also able to develop my own vision on a subject that interested me immensely. It was also a great way for me to close this chapter and start my new life as an architect.

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McDonald's

Subway

McDonald's

Subway

Fig. 149: Zoom in the detailed section of the Pennsylvania Center

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8– Bibliography

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BOOKS & MAGAZINES Cullen, Gordon. (1971) The Concise Townscape. New York, Van Nostrand Reinhold Company.

Gandy, Matthew. (2003) Concrete and Clay: Reworking Nature in New York City.

MIT Press.

Krötsch, Stefan. ( Dec. 2021) “Cultural Center and Hotel in Skelletea.” DETAIL Building With Wood, pp. 58–67.

Scheerlinck, Kris. Van Damme, Hannes. (2015) Common Streetscapes New York Street Scape Territories Notebook, Dag Boutsen (ed.), Streetscape Territories KU Leuven Faculty of Architecture, Drukkerij Artoos, Belgium Scheerlinck, Kris. (2016) Bellavista Tome Street Scape Territories Notebook, Scheerlinck Kris, Augustin Perez Bustamante Leonel (ed.), Streetscape Territories KU Leuven Faculty of Architecture, Blurb, Belgium Scheerlinck, Kris. (2018) Collective Spaces Revisited Street Scape Territories Notebook, Scheerlinck Kris (ed.), Streetscape Territories KU Leuven Faculty of Architecture, Belgium Scheerlinck Kris. (2014) Coney Island Street Scape Territories Notebook, Dag Boutsen (ed.), Streetscape Territories KU Leuven Faculty of Architecture, Drukkerij Artoos, Belgium Scheerlinck, Kris. (2014) Raval Barcelona Street Scape Territories Notebook, Dag Boutsen (ed.), Streetscape Territories KU Leuven Faculty of Architecture, Drukkerij Artoos, Belgium Stanton, Brandon. (2013) Humans of New York, St. Martin’s Press, New York Stanton, Brandon. (2015) Humans of New York Stories, St. Martin’s Press, New York William Goldhagen, Sarah. (2017) Welcome to Your World: How the Built Environment Shapes Our Lives. Harper Collins.

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PDF

Engler, Mira. (2016) “Cut and Paste Urban Landscape The Work of Gordon Cullen.” Routledge.

National Recreation and Park Association. Creating Mini-Parks for Increased Physical Activity. NRPA, https://www.nrpa.org/contentassets/f768428a39aa4035ae55b2aaff372617/pocket-parks.pdf.

Steiner, Frederick & Thompson, George & Carbonell, Armando. (2016) NATURE AND CITIES The Ecological Imperative In Urban Design and Planning. Lincoln Institute of Land Policy.

Taylor, A.F., & Kuo, F.E. (2011) Could Exposure to Everyday Green Spaces Help Treat ADHD? Evidence from Children’s Play Settings. Applied Psychology: Health and Well-being, 3, 281-303.

WEBSITE Hu, Winnie. (2016) New York’s Sidewalks Are so Packed, Pedestrians Are Taking to the Streets. The New York Times, The New York Times, www.nytimes. com/2016/07/01/nyregion/new-york-city-overcrowded-sidewalks.html.

Luco, Andreas. (2020) Melopee School / XDGA - Xaveer De Geyter Architects.

ArchDaily, ArchDaily, www.archdaily.com/946816/melopee-school-xdga-xaveerde-geyter-architects.

Rachel and Stephen Kaplan. Psychology Wiki, https://psychology.fandom.com/ wiki/Rachel_and_Stephen_Kaplan.

Schmidt, Stephan. (2022) What the Pandemic’s ‘Open Streets’ Really Revealed.

Bloomberg.com, Bloomberg, www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-01-03/theunequal-geography-of-covid-s-open-streets.

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FIGURE LIST Fig. 1: Bill Cunningham, by Ron Galella, 2018. https://www.vanityfair.com/ style/2018/08/bill-cunningham-fashion-climbing-review Fig. 2: Maira Kalman, by David Williams, 2018. https://tastecooking.com/a-life-ofcake/ Fig. 3: Supreme, by WallPaperAccess. https://wallpaperaccess.com/supremeblack-and-white Fig. 4: Yoko Ono, by Paradise Kortrijk, 2022. https://www.paradisekortrijk.be/nl/ bezoeken/kunstenaars/artiest/yoko-ono Fig. 5: Studio 54, by Adam Schull, 2018. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/04/ movies/studio-54-review.html Fig. 6: Woody Allen, by Timothy White, 1994. https://www.whitelighteditions.net/ art/94095-woody-allen-hand-up-bw-by-timothy-white Fig. 7: Diane Von Furstenberg, by Jesse Frohman, 2021. https://www.elle.fr/Mode/ Les-news-mode/Diane-von-Furstenberg-Assumez-votre-vulnerabilite-elle-deviendra-votre-force-3922204 Fig. 8: Rockefeller Family, by Bettmann, 2019. https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/dark-secrets-you-never-knew-about-the-rockefeller-family.html/ Fig. 9: Brandon Stanton, by St Martin’s Press, 2015. https://www.npr. org/2015/10/24/451184837/in-10-000-snaps-of-the-shutter-a-photographic-census-of-a-city?t=1652902536367 Fig. 10: Donald Trump, by Gabriel Sherman, 2018. https://www.vanityfair.com/ news/2018/11/trumps-post-midterms-blues-roil-the-white-house Fig. 11: Fran Lebowitz, by Alfred A. Knopf, 2016. https://www.facebook.com/franlebowitz Fig. 12: Robert Moses, by Encyclopædia Britannica, 2022. https://www.britannica. com/biography/Robert-Moses Fig. 13: Julian Schnabel, by Steve Clute, 2015. https://ocula.com/magazine/conversations/julian-schnabel/ Fig. 14: Martin Scorsese, by La Cinetek. https://www.lacinetek.com/lu/la-liste-de/ martin-scorsese-3 Fig. 15: Iris Apfel, by Bryan Adams, 2010. https://www.vogue.it/en/magazine/daily-news/2010/11/calvin-klein-and-bryan-adams Fig. 16: Chelsea Hotel, by Stefano Annovazzi, 2019. https://www.elledecor.com/it/ best-of/a27565198/chelsea-hotel-new-york-history/ Fig. 17: Diana Vreeland, by Horst P. Horst, 1979. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diana_Vreeland Fig. 18: Sharon Zukin, by Wikidat. https://es.wikidat.com/info/sharon-zukin Fig. 19: Alvin Baltrop, by Holland Cotter, 2019. https://www.nytimes. com/2019/09/19/arts/design/alvin-baltrop-photographs.html 135

Fig. 20: Diane Arbus, by Kitty Jackson, 2019. https://www.artdependence.com/ articles/diane-arbus-and-the-use-of-black-and-white/ Fig. 21: Gossip Girl, by Pinterest. https://www.pinterest.com/ pin/779896860460750355/ Fig. 22: Louise Bourgeois, by Mathias Johansson. https://www.modernamuseet. se/stockholm/en/exhibitions/louise-bourgeois/biography/ Fig. 23: Paris is Burning, by Julianne Escobedo Shepherd. https://www.npr.org/ sections/therecord/2012/04/23/151218475/the-music-and-meaning-of-paris-isburning Fig. 24: Donna Karan, by Manon Guarrigues. https://www.vogue.fr/fashion/fashion-news/articles/donna-karan-steps-down-as-chief-designer-at-donna-karan-international/26664 Fig. 25: Drawing by Maira Kalman for The New Yorker magazine, by Maira Kalman. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2013/03/18 Fig. 26: Drawing by Maira Kalman from her book Next Sop Grand Central, by Maira Kalman. https://mairakalman.com/next-stop-grand-central-real Fig. 27-30: Illustrations of a New York apartment according to Maira Kalman, by Manon Vandommele, 2021 Fig. 31: Photo of two people seen in Central Park, by Brandon Stanton, 2015.

Fig. 32: Photo of a woman seen at Lincoln Center, by Brandon Stanton, 2015.

Fig. 33-38: Drawings made according to the way Brandon Stanton sees New York, by Manon Vandommele, 2021 Fig. 39: Escalier de 63 by Louise Bourgeois. https://www.moma.org/s/lb/collection_lb/compositions/compositions_id-4961.html Fig. 40: Man Reading, by Louise Bourgeois. https://www.moma.org/s/lb/collection_lb/object/object_objid-64990.html Fig. 41: He Disappeared into Complete Silence, by Louise Bourgeois. https:// www.moma.org/s/lb/collection_lb/objbytheme/objbytheme_themeid-2033798_ sov_page-71.html Fig. 42: Collage of Louise Bourgeois’ work, by Manon Vandommele, 2021 Fig. 43: The Concise Townscape, by Gordon Cullen, 1971 Fig. 44-46: Photos of New York’s facades, by Manon Vandommele, 2022 Fig. 47: Defining 5 types of Sequences and Variations in New York, by Manon Vandommele Fig. 48: The sequence of New Delhi - The Concise Townscape, by Gordon Cullen, 1971 Fig. 49: The crush of pedestrian traffic, by Manon Vandommele, 2022 Fig. 50: Overcrowded areas of Manhattan, by Manon Vandommele, 2022 Fig. 51: Junction of 8th Avenue and 40th Street, by Manon Vandommele, 2022 Fig. 52-87: Atlas of the sequences and variations of New York, by Manon Vandommele, 2022

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Fig. 88: Schools comparison between crowded areas and uncrowded areas, pictures from Google Earth, 2022 Fig. 89: Schools location regarding overcrowded areas, Manhattan, New York City,

by Manon Vandommele, 2022 Fig. 90: Streetscape scenes of schools in Manhattan, New York City, pictures from Google Earth, 2022 Fig. 91: Greenwich Village School, West Village, Manhattan, by Manon Vandommele, 2022 Fig. 92: Sites of intervention with connection to existing schools, by Manon Vandommele, 2022 Fig. 93: Mapping the points of interest for intervention, by Manon Vandommele, 2022 Fig. 93: Existing schools around the two sites Fig. 94-95: Sequence & variations schemes of both sites, by Manon Vandommele, 2020 Fig. 96-101: Atmosphere pictures of the Melopee School, by Maxime Delvaux, 2020 Fig. 102: Imaginary atmosphere drawing of an outdoor space for children in Manhattan, by Manon Vandommele, 2022 Fig. 103-106: Photos of Paley Park, by Manon Vandommele, 2022 Fig. 107: Site plan of the two Centers on 8th Avenue, by Manon Vandommele, 2022 Fig. 108: Aerial view of the existing situation at Madison Square Garden, by Manon Vandommele, 2022 Fig. 109: View from the New Yorker Hotel, by Manon Vandommele, 2022 Fig. 110: View from the W 34th Street, by Manon Vandommele, 2022 Fig. 111: View from the junction of W 34th Street and 8th Avenue, by Manon Vandommele, 2022 Fig. 112-114: Site analysis, by Manon Vandommele, 2022 Fig. 116: Parking floor, by Manon Vandommele, 2022 Fig. 117: Ground floor, by Manon Vandommele, 2022 Fig. 118: First floor, by Manon Vandommele, 2022 Fig. 119: Second floor, by Manon Vandommele, 2022 Fig. 120: Third floor, by Manon Vandommele, 2022 Fig. 121: Roof, by Manon Vandommele, 2022 Fig. 122: Detailed Section AA’, by Manon Vandommele, 2022 Fig. 123: Section BB’ and facades, by Manon Vandommele, 2022 Fig. 124: Isometric conceptual drawing of the Pennsylvania Center, by Manon Vandommele, 2022 Fig. 125: Structural Scheme, by Manon Vandommele, 2022 Fig. 126: Exploded axonometry, by Manon Vandommele, 2022

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Fig. 127: Atmosphere drawing · view from the junction of 8th Avenue and W 34th Street, by Manon Vandommele, 2022 Fig. 128: Atmosphere drawing · view from the covered outdoor space, by Manon Vandommele, 2022 Fig. 129: Aerial view of the existing situation at Times Square, by Manon Vandommele, 2022 Fig. 130: View from the W 45th Street, by Manon Vandommele, 2022 Fig. 131: View from the parking on the site, by Manon Vandommele, 2022 Fig. 132: View from the 8th Avenue, by Manon Vandommele, 2022 Fig. 133-136: Site analysis, by Manon Vandommele, 2022 Fig. 137: Parking floor, by Manon Vandommele, 2022 Fig. 138: Ground floor, by Manon Vandommele, 2022 Fig. 139: First floor, by Manon Vandommele, 2022 Fig. 140: Second floor, by Manon Vandommele, 2022 Fig. 141: Roof, by Manon Vandommele, 2022 Fig. 142: Detailed Section AA’, by Manon Vandommele, 2022 Fig. 143: Section BB’ and facades, by Manon Vandommele, 2022 Fig. 14: Isometric conceptual drawing of the Times Square Center, by Manon Vandommele, 2022 Fig. 145: Structural Scheme, by Manon Vandommele, 2022 Fig. 146: Exploded axonometry, by Manon Vandommele, 2022 Fig. 147: Atmosphere drawing · view from 8th Avenue, by Manon Vandommele, 2022 Fig. 148: Atmosphere drawing · view from the outdoor space, by Manon Vandommele, 2022 Fig. 149: Zoom in the detailed section of the Pennsylvania Center, by Manon Vandommele, 2022

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